Change of Focus
by Dreamflight4798
Summary: One-shot. Spin-off of Ashflight1699's story, Murdered in Plain Sight. Yumeí's POV. (i hate summaries; who doesn't?)


**Okay, one shot! Whoever read Ashflight1699's story, _Murdered in Plain Sight_, know that there is a ball, but it was mostly from the view of Iyu, and then Yumeí barges into the garden where Iyu and Shun were talking. Why did Yumeí come? This will attempt to show you the ball from Yumeí's side.**

**Yumeí: That intro isn't very good.**

**Dream: I keep drawing up blank here!**

**Ash: *glare* I think that intro was fantastic! *leans back on chair* Okay, get on with the story!**

**Yumeí: Anyway, readers, please know that this is a spin-off from Ash's story. She owns the plot of that story, and those OCs. Dream owns this spin-off and me ONLY.**

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**Jesse's View:**

Jesse was standing against the wall of the ballroom watching Yumeí dancing with her escort. He was a fairly thin boy with coarse brown hair and green eyes that were more hazel than actual green. Yumeí looked beautiful: her hair was loose and curled, emphasizing her bright green eyes, and a lovely indigo dress.

Jesse had come to the ball without a partner; he hadn't wanted to make any awkward situations with his lack of knowledge about formal human social events. He was trying to quietly observe what was happening to try and understand everything. This was unusually difficult with Zenet sticking to him like velcro.

"Why are you hiding in a corner?" she complained for the fifth time. She was messing with her floor length white dress, obviously uncomfortable.

"Why are you?" he shot back, letting a fraction of his annoyance show.

"Girl gets asked by the boy," Zenet insisted. "Tradition. Yumeí told me."

"And speaking of," Zenet looked sideways at Jesse with her golden eyes. "Why didn't _you_ ask Yumeí? She obviously wanted you to. That's why she postponed her choice so long."

"When I asked her about her postponing, she said she was hoping for the right man to ask."

Zenet sighed.

"Well, wasn't it obvious? She wanted _you_!"

"Why did she not ask me, if that was what she desired?" Jesse asked, keeping his "cool and unconcerned" face on. Internally, he was reeling from this new information; it completely changed everything he'd perceived about this part of Yumeí's personality.

"One, it's not traditional," Zenet informed him. "and two, girls don't do stuff like that. She was speaking in 'girl code' to keep it cryptic, so it wouldn't put her feelings on the line."

"That's stupid," Jesse said bluntly, dropping his facade completely. Zenet shrugged.

"I never said it wasn't. It's just what girls do." Silence followed for a whole song, then Zenet started talking again.

"You should go up and ask her to dance. Yumeí. Once this song's over. Or you could just cut into this one. I think she's going to die."

Jesse found Yumeí again after Volt-who was attempting to dance with Zaire-moved out of the way. She did look like she wanted to be rescued from her partner, who seemed to be trying to step on her feet with every movement. She was politely smiling, but Jesse had spent a lot of time with her during their lessons, and knew that she was ready to hit someone, anyone who came within arms reach.

"I can't do that, even if I wanted to," Jesse answered. "I don't know how."

"It's simple," Ren said, having been separated from his partner by someone else. "You either tap the other man on the shoulder and say 'may I cut in?' or you just slip in. Both have happened to me in the last dance." Jesse blinked in surprise.

"I think I'll use the former."

"Why is it that everyone else gets to dance!" Zenet stage-whispered. "Mason asked Lena, Zaire asked Volt, Ren asks anyone, and now Jesse get's to go ask Yumeí! It's not fair!"

Jesse ignored her, and focused on replacing the "charming gentleman" expression on his face. After sidestepping Lync! Jesse reached Yumeí and her partner. It took all his willpower to politely tap her partner on the shoulder and say his line. Yumeí's partner gave him a quick look that said "thanks" before leaving.

"Your timing is perfect, as always," Yumeí said in an odd tone. Jesse read between the lines to what she was really trying to say: "You're late. I had to dance with all those other boys. I'm not happy with you."

"You are very welcome, princess," Jesse answered, using the title to show he was going to play on with the formality display.

Yumeí managed to keep a dignified expression on her face as she and Jesse joined hands, she placed her palm on his shoulder, and he put his hand on her waist.

They danced in silence until the music faded, then Jesse dared to speak again.

"Is a single dance all I am allowed?"

"You can have as many as you want," Yumeí answered with a smile.

"Aha," Jesse teased. "The statue comes unfrozen!"

Yumeí deliberately stamped on his foot as hard as she could.

"There is the girl I know."

Yumeí smiled again. Jesse found himself momentarily breathless for a reason he did not know nor understand. He only barely managed to cover it up by saying quickly: "You look very beautiful tonight."

"You make formalwear look perfunctory," Yumeí said, looking him over with a false appraising expression. Jesse allowed his formal charade to slip just long enough for her to see his true smile. She smiled back, dazzling him again.

**Yumeí's View:**

Now that she'd managed to get the big drama king to dance with her, Yumeí was rather enjoying the ball. She would have to remember to thank Zenet.

She and Jesse danced for at least seven songs, changing tempo and moitions as fluidly as a river. When a particularly fast-paced song ended, Yumeí spotted Shun and his partner leaving together. Her snooping instinct flared up immediately. She thanked Jesse for the dance, and made an excuse of needing a drink.

Once off the dance floor, Yumeí swerved away from the refreshment table to pass through the crowd.

"You owe me ten bucks," she whispered to Lena as she passed her. Then she saw something that made her move off course again. She punched Shadow's arm.

"I told you not to mess with that!"

"But I hate it!" Shadow complained, letting go of his tie to rub his arm. "Why do I have to wear this thing? It's like a leash or something!"

"It's _tradition_!" Yumeí hissed. "It's the same reason why I'm wearing a dress and not jeans."

"You can't say that out loud," Mylene muttered. "There are people who don't understand denim in the vicinity."

"Or shorts," Yumeí added, remembering Kel. Kel had almost had a seizure when Yumeí had tried to explain the concept of wearing shorts under her skirts or dresses. Yumeí had let the subject drop, but she was sure that Kel was scarred for life.

"But anyway," Yumeí said, pulling herself back to the issue. "you gotta stop messing with it! No one else is playing with their ties! Lync is three years younger than you, but he hasn't touched his! Just, find a distraction. Dance with someone, socialized, just don't touch the tie! That's an order!"

Shadow grudgingly lowered his hand that had been inching back to his tie. Mylene sighed, blowing her bangs up. Yumeí turned to leave, and had to navigate her way around Volt, who had given up trying to dance for the time being.

She carefully stood in front of Shun's partner and as she passed, Yumeí stuck out her foot and tripped her to keep the converstion within her earshot. When Shun helped is partner up, Yumeí heard him say "oh," in surprise. Her snooping insticnt flared again as Shun pulled the girl out to the garden.

Yumeí got close to the outside door, and paused. Was eavesdropping on Shun worth missing a dance with Jesse? She considered it. Yes, it was.

She slipped out of the door and-as quietly as she could, and all but dove into a bush. She tried to listen, but there was a cricket chirping right next to her ear, and only bits and pieces came through.

"...vengeance...point is you killed...defense of the Crown! Do you _not _understand...I could be trusted...Put it down, or-"

Yumeí felt something tickling the back of her neck. The sensation moved to her arm, and Yumeí saw a large spider scuttling around; Yumeí did the automatic thing, and jumped out of the bush, trying to get it off.

"Yumeí, what are you doing here?" ,asked Shun dangerously.

"I'm on bush patrol!" she declared, thinking fast. "I have found you in the shrubbery!"

"We are _not_ in the shrubbery," ,Shun informed her, irritated."We are in the garden."

"Same difference."

Yumeí then turned to look at the girl, and feigned sudden understanding.

"Aha! In the shrubbery, with a _girl_!"

"That's quite observant of you." said Shun cuttingly. "But how do I know that you're not trying to 'sneak into the bushes' with a certain boy?"

"Because I'm _on_ bush patrol! Not _in_ them! Plus, I'm _alone_!" Yumeí said back, a blush threatening to rise up in her cheeks as her thoughts turned back to Jesse.

"Well we're not _in the bushes_. We _were_ having a friendly chat, till you poked your nose in. What happened to your dance partner?"

Yumeí winced. She knew that if she didn't answer, Shun wouldn't stop antagonizing her, so she settled on partial truth.

"I had..._other..._obligations? Like keeping Shadow from messing with his tie? But still, who's the pretty lady?"

Shun shot a scathing look at Yumeí before pointing to his partner.

"She's...Kaphirci. Of Tacari."

Yumeí squinted, trying to see her face in the dark.

"Haven't heard of ya."

She quickly turned her attention to Shun again.

"Why are you clutching your shoulder?"

Shun lifted his hand from his shoulder, and Yumeí groaned.

"You're covered in blood again. Why is it you're always covered in blood?"

"Thorn." ,said Shun tersely.

"Excuse me." ,said Shun's partner curtly, and she slipped past Yumeí into the maze of plants. Yumeí turned back to her brother.

"Alright, what did you do now?!"

"Nothing!" he snapped. "We were just talking!"

"About what?"

"That is between us. You have no business to go poking around whenever I am with a girl!"

"You're my brother! That makes you my business!"

They started to reenter the ballroom, and were quickly joined by Shinoru, who was brought up to speed by his twin.

"If being siblings makes their business yours," Shinoru asked slyly. "then why do you never tell me anything about you and Jesse?"

"What are you talking about?" Yumeí asked, putting on her blank poker face.

"We both know you like him," Shun added, his mood improving on Yumeí's embarrassment. "You wanted him to be your escort, but he didn't ask you. So disappointing."

Yumeí turned and stormed off, out the oaken doors. She began pacing in the hall, trying to work off her anger. Then she realized that it was quiet. Way _too_ quiet. Then someone screamed.

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**Yumeí: Can I take five?**

**Dream: Sure. The next part of the story is in Ashflight1699's _Murdered in Plain Sight_. Take up your requests to her.**

**Yumeí: Review!**


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